04 May 2026
First National Bank of Botswana (FNB Botswana) and Africa’s Eden Tourism have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at supporting tourism businesses, strengthening the sector, and improving access to financial solutions across Southern Africa.
Through this partnership, FNB Botswana comes on board as the Strategic Banking Partner to Africa’s Eden, reinforcing its commitment to one of the region’s most important economic sectors. The collaboration will focus on providing tourism businesses with relevant financial tools, improved access to banking solutions, and increased industry engagement.
Africa’s Eden Tourism is a private-sector, member-funded tourism community representing Angola, Botswana, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The organisation works to grow tourism across the region through cross-border collaboration, market access, and practical, in-destination engagement.
As part of the collaboration, FNB Botswana will engage more closely with tourism businesses across the region through Africa’s Eden’s network. This will include participation in industry discussions, workshops and events focused on financial resilience, cross-border transactions and practical banking solutions for tourism operators.
Dr. Lone Nthobelang, Dealmaker Tourism at FNB Botswana, said:
“Tourism remains one of the most powerful engines for economic growth and regional integration across Southern Africa. Our partnership with Africa’s Eden Tourism allows us to engage more directly with tourism operators across the region, providing financial solutions that enable businesses to grow, trade across borders, and build resilient enterprises. The Bank views this collaboration as an opportunity to deepen our role as a strategic partner to the tourism sector and to support the entrepreneurs driving the industry forward.”
The collaboration will also include joint marketing initiatives, webinars and knowledge-sharing platforms designed to address key challenges faced by tourism businesses. A strong focus will be placed on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs), including mentorship programmes and guidance to help startups and growing businesses build resilience, improve financial literacy and scale sustainably.
Africa’s Eden already maintains its operational banking relationship with FNB Botswana, and this agreement builds on an existing foundation of trust and collaboration between the two organisations.
Jillian Blackbeard, CEO of Africa’s Eden Tourism, said:
“We are delighted to be strengthening our relationship with FNB Botswana in a way that directly supports our members and the wider tourism industry. Access to the right financial tools and guidance is critical for businesses looking to grow and adapt in today’s environment. We are particularly excited to see the mentorship opportunities this collaboration will unlock for startups and SMMEs across our region.”
This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to building a stronger, more inclusive tourism sector across Southern Africa, driven by practical support, collaboration and long-term growth.
